by Arphir of Axis [Dark Iron]
Diagram by Truevalue of Axis

Overview

One of Kael'thas chief lieutenants, High Astromancer Solarian has eagerly embraced the demonic energies with which the Blood Elves are experimenting...

Solarian is a multi-phase fight, scripted similarly to fights like Leotheras the Blind, Lady Vashj, and Al'ar. In all of these fights, a portion of the encounter is spent dealing with a fixed set of abilities; however, the chief challenge is usually a portion of the fight which cycles back and forth between several abilities on a timer. In Solarian's case, the first two phases of the fight cycle repeatedly until she reaches low health (exactly like Leotheras); at this point, Solarian transforms into an enormous Voidwalker and a third phase commences until she dies.

While the mechanics of this encounter are fairly straightforward, all of Solarian's most dangerous abilities require fast reaction times from the raid. High latency or poor reaction times even from only one or two people can quickly escalate into a wipe.

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Abilities

HP: 2,800,000

Phase 1 (Human form)

Melee: Hits for light damage on a tank. Solarian does not melee very often.

Blinding Light: Every 20 seconds, Solarian will instantly inflict 2,280 to 2,520 arcane damage to all members of the raid.

Arcane Missiles: Periodically, Solarian will target a random member of the raid and attack them with bolts of arcane energy. The missiles deal 3,000 arcane damage per second for 3 seconds.

Wrath of the Astromancer: Periodically, Solarian will afflict a random member of the raid with this debuff. After six seconds, the player will "explode," dealing 5,400 to 6,600 arcane damage to himself and anyone within 10 yards. It cannot be dispelled. Any player damaged will be thrown up into the air. Upon landing, all players except for the initially afflicted target will suffer large amounts of fall damage.

Phase 2 (Portals)

Vanish: After 50 seconds has elapsed in Phase 1, Solarian will disappear for 15 seconds. Three beams of light will descend from the ceiling in random locations near the center of the room, creating three portals. About a dozen Solarium Agents will emerge from the portals and immediately begin to attack the raid.

Solarium Agent
HP: 20,000
Melee: Hits for moderate damage on cloth.

Return: 15 seconds after Solarian has vanished, she will re-emerge from one of the three portals. A Solarium Priest will emerge from each of the remaining two portals. At this point, Phase 1 will resume and continue for another 50 seconds.

Solarium Priest
HP: 75,000
Melee: Hits for very light damage on plate.
Holy Smite: Deals 533-747 Holy damage to one target. 2.5 second cast time. May be interrupted.
Silence: Silences nearby casters for a few seconds.
Greater Heal: Heals a random friendly target for 23,125 to 26,875. The Solarium Priest may heal any of its allies. Greater Heal can be interrupted. 2 second cast time.

Phase 3 (Voidwalker form)

When Solarian is reduced to 20% health, she immediately transforms into a giant Voidwalker, losing all of the abilities she possesses in Phases 1 and 2 (including the ability to vanish and summon allies). In her new form, Solarian has more armor, and the following abilities:

Void Bolt: Periodically deals 4,394 to 5,106 shadow damage to Solarian's aggro target.

Fear: Up to 5 players in close proximity to Solarian are afflicted by fear for several seconds. Solarian will continue to attack her aggro target.

Preparation

Raid Composition

The following raid composition is recommended for Solarian:

3 Tanks (DPS specs and gear are OK)
1 Paladin AOE Tank
7-8 Healers
2 Rogues
6-8 Mages or Warlocks
4-7 Other DPS

The 3 tanks handling Solarian and the Solarium Priests may be warriors or feral druids and do not have special gear requirements. A Protection Paladin is strongly desirable for the AOE tank handling the Solarium Agents.

Assignments

Use the following macros to help assign the roles in your raid:

/rw -- INC ASSIGNMENTS --
/raid Solarian Tanks: [3 Tanks]
/raid AOE Tank: [1 Paladin Tank]
/raid Tank Healers: [2 Healers]
/raid Raid Healers: [2 Healers]
/raid Arcane Missile Healers: [3 Healers]
/raid Solarium Priest Kickers: [2 Rogues]

Addons

Raid Most "Bomb" abilities in encounters prior to Solarian have long timers, giving you 8-10 seconds to run away from other players, and for others to warn you that you've gotten the debuff. Wrath of the Astromancer, however, lasts for only 6 seconds, so you must notice the debuff very quickly and move. The addon Solarian Alarm enables a striking blue visual effect that covers your screen whenever you receive Wrath of the Astromancer, ensuring you won't miss it. We recommend that all members of the raid install this addon.

Positioning

The following diagram illustrates the positions that should be used during the fight.

Raid Leader Place a raid symbol on the Paladin Tank's head. This will be the raid's point of reference for positioning, corresponding to the large blue "Raid" circle in the diagram.

Raid Prior to the pull, the raid should simply stand in a tight cluster at any point along the outside edge of Solarian's room.

On the Pull

Tanks , Melee DPS The tank designated to acquire Solarian should initiate the encounter by running forward and tanking her near the center of the room. Other melee characters should follow behind the tank.

Paladin Tank When the Main Tank runs in, follow him, but stop about 15 yards away from Solarian. The raid will follow you to this location.

Raid The raid leader has placed a raid symbol on the Paladin tank's head. Follow this individual toward the center of the room and stand directly on top of them. Positioning should resemble the accompanying diagram.

Phase 1

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Raid DPS Solarian. If you receive the Wrath of the Astromancer debuff, immediately strafe to the left or the right of the raid, as displayed in the accompanying diagram. Do not walk backwards; just get away from everybody else before the debuff expires. If you detonate near someone else, they will probably die. Once you have detonated, return to your original position. After 50 seconds in this phase, Solarian will Vanish and Phase 2 will begin.

Healers The entire raid will periodically take a small amount of damage from Blinding Light that must be healed. Solarian will occasionally damage the Main Tank, but for much of this phase she will be targeting one person at a time and dealing 9,000 damage to that person very quickly with her Arcane Missiles. Healing through this will require fast reaction times.

If someone with Wrath of the Astromancer detonates near other players, you have a mess on your hands. Other than that, the primary risk is that somebody will get killed by a combination of abilities -- specifically if someone has just been the target of Arcane Missiles and is low health, and then Solarian uses Blinding Light, they may die. For this reason it's important to make sure everyone has 100% health before Blinding Light is cast. A boss timer like Deadly Boss Mods can predict when Solarian will use Blinding Light and other abilities.

Phase 2

When Solarian vanishes, three portals will appear; a few seconds later, the Solarium Agents will emerge.

Paladin Tank With Righteous Fury active, begin healing anyone in the raid who is not at full health when the Agents appear. The aggro you generate should bring them to you. Consecrate once they arrive and tank all of the Solarium Agents. AOE must occur quickly here, so make sure to let the raid know as soon as you have aggro.

Healers Unless the raid is badly damaged, you should wait to heal anybody until the Paladin Tank has established aggro. Then, top off the raid and heal the Paladin Tank in preparation for AOE. When the Mages and Warlocks begin AOE, some of them will pull aggro; be prepared to heal them when they take damage.

Fifteen seconds after the beginning of Phase 2, Solarian and two Solarium Priests will emerge from the portals. You will need to make sure that the tanks are getting heals even if AOE is still ongoing at this time.

Tanks When the portals appear, collapse to the position of the Paladin Tank to ensure that all Solarium Agents run in the right direction. You will have a few seconds to DPS Solarium Agents at this position, but before Phase 1 begins again, each tank must run to one of the three portals. At the end of Phase 2, Solarian will reappear at one portal; Solarium Priests will emerge from the others. Tank whatever emerges from your portal.

If you are tanking a Solarium Priest, move it to within 15 or 20 yards of the raid so that DPS can switch to it immediately after the Agents are dead.

DPS Solarium Agents will appear. Once the Paladin Tank has established aggro on them, kill them all, using AOE if you have it, or single target attacks if not. By the time all Agents are dead, the Solarium Priests and the Astromancer will probably have appeared; ensure that the tanks have aggro, and kill one Solarium Priest at a time. When they are both dead, return to DPS'ing Solarian herself.

Rogue Two rogues are assigned to interrupt the Greater Heals being cast by the Solarium Priests that spawn at the end of the phase. When the tanks move out to the three portals, follow them. As soon as the Priests spawn, one rogue should take each Priest and ensure that no Greater Heals get off. When the Priests are dead, DPS Solarian.

Questions about High Astromancer Solarian? Discuss them on our Raiding Strategies forum.